by Flack » Fri Jul 07, 2023 7:57 am
There are many ways to run an unsuccessful themed restaurant. We've all visited diners with dishes named after pop culture icons and generic pictures hanging on their walls in a half-hearted attempt to make up for subpart food. Then there are those that theme too hard and turn their restaurant into "an event," focusing more on the theme than the food. Maintaining the delicate balance between an interesting setting and enjoyable food is difficult and easy to get wrong, which makes the places that get it right so enjoyable.
Zombie Burger, located in downtown Des Moines, is a place that gets it right. Hanging in the windows are large neon zombies; inside, patrons waiting for a table will find themselves staring at a pair of life-sized zombies and walls adorned with dark artwork and sections of chain link fence. This isn't a place that simply hung a few horror posters on the wall and called it good. Zombie Burger has gone all in, with body parts and severed heads hanging from the ceiling and what appears to be a mad scientist's laboratory behind the bar. It's a lot, but not too much. The waitstaff have more tattoos and piercings than those at Chili's, but no one is wearing black lipstick or speaking with a bad Transylvanian accent. There are people at the bar wearing sport coats and ties, and the couple seated next to us seem to be on a date. Even after the zombie apocalypse, people gotta eat.
After being seated we began scanning the menus, which are paper and made to look like newspapers. One side contains zombie-related news while the other displays a long list of menu items. Our waitress has fully adapted to the madness and doesn't flinch when telling us about their specials, which on our visit was the Undead Guy BBQ Burger and their chicken sandwich, the Poultrygeist. Many of the burgers borrowed their names from zombie flicks and television shows, like the East Village of the Damned (a mushroom and cheese croquette), the Planet Terror (a bacon cheeseburger), and the Undead Elvis (a classic peanut butter, banana, and bacon burger). My wife opted for the Walking Ched, a bacon cheeseburger that uses breaded and deep fried macaroni and cheese patties instead of bread, while I went the spicy green chile and chipotle mayo onion burger, the Juan of the Dead.
Zombie Burger is also known for their shakes, which can be ordered standard or spiked. The more exotic shakes combine ice cream with sweet treats, like the Zombie Unicorn which contains marshmallow cream and Fruity Pebbles, or the graham racker/peach puree delight, the Human Centipeach.
Despite all the ghoulish decor and zombified menu items, the restaurant feels less like a campy haunted house and more like a haunted museum. Nothing feels dirty or over the top... until you enter the restrooms, which are covered floor-to-ceiling in zombie-themed and graffiti inspired murals. Large paintings of zombies, skeletons, and eyeballs ensure no one lingers too long while doing their business.
It seems criminal to talk so little about our meals, because they were excellent. My burger came with a layer of fried cheese which, when sliced properly, dribbled cheese (like blood) down over the entire burger. Between our order of cheese curds and the oversized burgers, we found ourselves unable to finish the food laid out before us -- something unthinkable to the average zombie! On our way out of the restaurant, we passed by a wall of merchandise (t-shirts, hats and stickers) for sale on location only.
Biting into a burger while sitting next to a painting of a soulless zombie sinking its teeth into fresh brains is not for everyone, but if it's for you, Zombie Burger is an experience to die for.
There are many ways to run an unsuccessful themed restaurant. We've all visited diners with dishes named after pop culture icons and generic pictures hanging on their walls in a half-hearted attempt to make up for subpart food. Then there are those that theme too hard and turn their restaurant into "an event," focusing more on the theme than the food. Maintaining the delicate balance between an interesting setting and enjoyable food is difficult and easy to get wrong, which makes the places that get it right so enjoyable.
Zombie Burger, located in downtown Des Moines, is a place that gets it right. Hanging in the windows are large neon zombies; inside, patrons waiting for a table will find themselves staring at a pair of life-sized zombies and walls adorned with dark artwork and sections of chain link fence. This isn't a place that simply hung a few horror posters on the wall and called it good. Zombie Burger has gone all in, with body parts and severed heads hanging from the ceiling and what appears to be a mad scientist's laboratory behind the bar. It's a lot, but not too much. The waitstaff have more tattoos and piercings than those at Chili's, but no one is wearing black lipstick or speaking with a bad Transylvanian accent. There are people at the bar wearing sport coats and ties, and the couple seated next to us seem to be on a date. Even after the zombie apocalypse, people gotta eat.
[img]https://i.imgur.com/gZiKcz4.jpg[/img]
After being seated we began scanning the menus, which are paper and made to look like newspapers. One side contains zombie-related news while the other displays a long list of menu items. Our waitress has fully adapted to the madness and doesn't flinch when telling us about their specials, which on our visit was the Undead Guy BBQ Burger and their chicken sandwich, the Poultrygeist. Many of the burgers borrowed their names from zombie flicks and television shows, like the East Village of the Damned (a mushroom and cheese croquette), the Planet Terror (a bacon cheeseburger), and the Undead Elvis (a classic peanut butter, banana, and bacon burger). My wife opted for the Walking Ched, a bacon cheeseburger that uses breaded and deep fried macaroni and cheese patties instead of bread, while I went the spicy green chile and chipotle mayo onion burger, the Juan of the Dead.
Zombie Burger is also known for their shakes, which can be ordered standard or spiked. The more exotic shakes combine ice cream with sweet treats, like the Zombie Unicorn which contains marshmallow cream and Fruity Pebbles, or the graham racker/peach puree delight, the Human Centipeach.
[img]https://i.imgur.com/lSUAh8h.jpg[/img]
Despite all the ghoulish decor and zombified menu items, the restaurant feels less like a campy haunted house and more like a haunted museum. Nothing feels dirty or over the top... until you enter the restrooms, which are covered floor-to-ceiling in zombie-themed and graffiti inspired murals. Large paintings of zombies, skeletons, and eyeballs ensure no one lingers too long while doing their business.
It seems criminal to talk so little about our meals, because they were excellent. My burger came with a layer of fried cheese which, when sliced properly, dribbled cheese (like blood) down over the entire burger. Between our order of cheese curds and the oversized burgers, we found ourselves unable to finish the food laid out before us -- something unthinkable to the average zombie! On our way out of the restaurant, we passed by a wall of merchandise (t-shirts, hats and stickers) for sale on location only.
Biting into a burger while sitting next to a painting of a soulless zombie sinking its teeth into fresh brains is not for everyone, but if it's for you, Zombie Burger is an experience to die for.
[img]https://i.imgur.com/7nVI1Tp.jpg[/img]